After Earth HD is a game that follows in the trend of high-end movies that get companion games on mobile devices. As I’ve noted before, I like the concept… when it’s done right. Well, when Will Smith and son atee affiliated, it should be awesome, no?

It’s a running game, and it’s hard not to draw parallels with the de facto barometer of the genre, Temple Run.

The story is simply a runway to the action. I was s young cadet granted entrance to the exclusive Rangers Training Academy, in the hopes of becoming a guardian of Nova Prime.

Graphically, it’s well done, with good coloration and artistic scenery. Obstacles look foreboding, and the sun especially bright. The action perspectives changed smoothly, and the sounds of the game added to the overall ambience.

As noted, it’s a running game. Two major gaming paths exist: Career and Marathon; the one takes one through leveled gameplay; the latter is based on raw longevity. The abbreviated top-down/first person view will be familiar to anyone who has dabbled in these types of games. Obstacles jut out along the running path, and the requisite dangers to slide under and jump over in the personification of massive collapsed boulders. The tutorial that makes up a good portion of the first level shows how to use gestures to scoot to the left or right, and how to do the slides and jumps. In addition, sharp turns have to be performed so as not to crack a bone by slamming into a dead end.

In addition, there were sequences where I was airborne and had to avoid cliffs and such by tilting. I also got to use a weapon. The playing area was lined with coins that can be redeemed for upgrades. The further I traveled, the more points I garnered and the faster I got promoted. Of course, the in-app store takes real cash as well.

I felt there were a few more elements of the movie that could have been incorporated into the game, but it’s hard not to like it nonetheless. Still, even with the subtle tweaks to the gameplay, it’s hard to shake the feeling that it was an old, familiar wine in a different skin.

Fun is fun though, and that is exactly what this game brings to the table.